Honey contains trace amounts of a wide a variety of essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants, all of which contribute to good health. Additionally, honey has been found to provide a slow, sustained release of energy into the blood stream, making it an excellent source of carbohydrate for both athletes and just plain busy people.

Storing Honey
Always store honey at room temperature away from excessive heat. Do not store honey in refrigerator, excessive heat or cold will cause honey to crystallize. If your honey should crystallize, place it in boiling water for 2-3 minutes until it returns to liquid. You can also microwave 1 cup (250 ml) of honey in a microwave safe container on high 2 to 3 minutes or until crystals dissolve. Stir every 30 seconds, and do not boil or scorch. Honey darkens with age but retains its flavor. It is best to consume honey with 1 year after opening the container.

Using Honey

Reduce the liquid in a recipe by ¼ cup for each cup of honey used. Increase baking soda by ½ teaspoon for each cup of honey used. Reduce oven temperature by 25 degrees (F) to prevent over browning. Honey has a higher sweetening power than sugar because of its higher fructose content. This means you can use less honey to achieve the desired sweetness. When measuring honey, remember that one 12 ounce jar of honey equals a standard measuring cup. For easy measuring coat the measuring utensil with vegetable oil or non-stick cooking spray before measuring honey

Buying Honey

Select mildly flavored honeys, such as Pure Clover, for use in cooking where delicate flavors predominate. Select stronger flavored, darker colored honeys, such as Natural Wildflower, for use in spreads or other recipes where a distinct honey flavor is desired.

Honey and Raw Apple Cider Vinegar

Many are surprised to learn about this wondrous combination of Raw apple cider vinegar and pure honey. These are two of the universally accepted folk remedies. Pure honey is packed with carbohydrates and minerals and has been traditionally used to discourage the growth of germs. Bacteria just doesn’t thrive in the pure honey. Also, honey contains a whole host of trace elements and important enzymes. Raw apple cider vinegar can be purchased in any local health food store. It is important that it be the raw cider vinegar not the distilled found in most grocery stores. Raw cider vinegar is a marvelous combination of a tart good taste and germ killing acids. It is fermented from apples which are alive with enzymes. A little known fact: pure honey and raw apple cider vinegar are bactericides. Combined, they contain more than thirty nutrients, many of them essential and all in natures proportion. Nutrients are capable of resisting disease to the body, you stay cold free, are rarely sick. A body which is out of sync with nature encourages disease. Raw apple cider vinegar, combined with sweet, pure honey is a supportive measure that encourages the body to defend itself from sickness. The enzymes in this drink kill many of the bacteria in the digestive track, which reduces the likelihood of getting a kidney or bladder infection. Try it for an unsettled stomach. It will clam down the stomach if you sip slowly on a glass of room temperature tonic. This combination can be used to help lower cholesterol. And, vinegar is said to shift the bodies gears into low, protecting us from stress related illnesses. Raw apple cider vinegar and pure honey are a good prescription for those who want to retain vitality and good health well into old age.Simply mix;
1 Tablespoon of Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tablespoon of Pure Honey
6-8 oz. Of room temperature water
Drink this two to three times a day and begin feeling better. Throughout the ages this pure honey and raw apple cider vinegar tonic has been prescribed as an aid in maintaining general health, preventing diseases such as arthritis, controlling weight and just giving an over-all healthy, energetic feeling. Most important…they are not drugs. They are pure, natural foods that boost the bodies ability to help itself. Either you can start to take care of your body now or you can pay for it later in prescriptions. We all have choices.

Honey and Wounds

Honey’s healing properties can help wounds of all kinds. It is known that honey is a remedy which helps to fight infection. Do not be afraid to use it on all people, young and old. Honey placed on a wound or burn will actually speed healing of the wound so that the healthy skin is stimulated and heals from the inside out. Honey keeps it moist, which leads to less scaring. Bacteria will not grow in honey, so it is excellent in helping treat dirty and infected wounds, and has a cleansing effect on cuts and burns. It is a little sticky (which is the only side affect) so put a bandage or gauze over the area. You will find when applying honey the mixture has a soothing and cleansing effect, and the dressing will not adhere to the wound. Honey is far more effective on wounds, cuts and burns than conventional treatment with antibiotics. So next time you happen to get cut or burned try putting honey on the area and see for yourself what happens.

Honey for the Common Cold

Since olden days honey has been claimed as a folk remedy for colds and sore throats, simply on its own, or mixed with other foods like lemon, tea, whiskey, raw apple cider vinegar, etc. People with colds are recommend to take honey with one of the above liquids. If you talk with your grandmother she’ll say that when she was a child, getting sick with a cold or sore throat her mother would give her honey and lemon.
When honey is taken for a cold you should take care, get rest and eat right. It’s the best cough syrup we know of. It doesn’t upset the stomach and can be taken by adults and children. It doesn’t matter were you ancestors came from, the practice is universal.

Honey for the Skin

Care of your skin is important since it protects the organism against harmful external influences. As we age the skin begins to loosen and its ability to absorb and retain moisture lessens. The skin tends to become dry and wrinkled as its fat gland function less efficiently. Regular care can slow down this process, giving the face a fresh velvety texture while smoothing away wrinkles and roughness. Honey is high on the list for preserving the beauty of the skin and improving its tone. It feeds glucose to the muscle layer of the skin. Its properties enable it to absorb skin secretions, while its inhibitors and bactericidal properties protect the skin and have an antiseptic effect. After washing your face with warm water put some honey in the palm of your hand. Pat or massage it onto the face and let sit for a minute or two. Wash off with water and you will be amazed how soft your skin is, “Just like a baby’s bottoms.”

Honey for the Hair

You may think this is a little strange but here too you will be amazed at the results. After washing your face, place a small amount of honey in the palm of your hand and massage into your scalp. Let it remain for 3-5 minutes and rinse. The honey will rinse away easily. If your hair in your usual way. Your hair will have more body, be fuller, more manageable. The split ends will improve and you will have a wonderful head

Honey for the Sinuses

Good therapeutic effects have been obtained when honey is inhaled into the upper respiratory tract. What you do is lie back, tilt your head back, place one drop of honey into your nostril. It will burn because it is fighting the infection that is there. Your will be able to feel and taste it as it drains into your sinuses. Honey will soothe the membranes and help them to heal faster. Do this until you feel better, and then when better, try a couple more times to make sure that you are well on the way to healing. When finished with this procedure, blow your nose to clean out the sinuses. Inhaling honey not only has a soothing and cleansing effect on the membranes of the nose, but also the throat, and also helps the lungs.

Honey for the Eye

Honey has long been considered a most effective remedy for much eye disease. Mixed with the fluid in the eye it will form a natural hydrogen peroxide eye wash. It can be used to flush out impurities. Just lie back and place one drop of pure, natural honey into the eye and let it remain there for at least five minutes. If you have not done this before, try just one eye to become familiar with the feeling. It will sting and burn just a little, but it is bearable. The burning sensation is the hydrogen peroxide that is working in the eye. When done, wipe clean to remove the sticky honey. “You will have a brighter look on life. ”We have received letters from people who have tried this remedy and say it has lessened their cataracts, which is a film, which can form on the eye. It is also an excellent cure for eye inflammation. The honey stimulates the oxygen that is around the eye and promotes healing. There is nothing in honey that will hurt you. Unfortunately, honey has lost its importance today as a highly effective treatment for certain diseases of the eye. Medicine has been enriched with a host of new preparations. Honey speed ups the rate of circulation and hastens the healing of slow healing sores. Sores on the corneal membrane were cured with honey, without any other medication.

Make sure it’s pure honey not store bought. Honey from a beekeeper is great.